Train-control system



Aug.19,' 1930. F. M. ROSENZWEIG 1,773,154

I TRAIN CONTROL SYSTEM Filed March 15 1924 A mvsu-ron (0 Fred M.Rosenzwe1g q 097% ATTORNEY;

Patented Aug. 19, 1930 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFI CE FRED M. ROSENZWEIG, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB .TO THE REGAN SAFETY DEVICES COMPANY, INC., OF NEW YORK, N. -Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK TRAIN-CONTROL SYSTEM Application filed Liarch IS, 1924. Serial No. 699,138.

This invention relates to a train control system, and more particularly to a traincontrol system in which a train or vehicle is automatically controlled from the roadside to-produce restrictive movements of the vehicle, and in which such restricted movements may be modified by manual intervention of the engineman to permit the vehicle to 'proceed under given speed limitations. i

A prime desideratum of my present invention comprehends the provision of a train control system in which after a given restriction is imposed on the movement of the vehicle in response to a non-clear roadside condition, the restriction may be modified by a manual intervention of the engineman only when the vehicle has been reduced to a speed at or below a relatively low limit which is less restrictive than the given restriction, 0 the manual control being such as to then permit the acceleration of the speed of the ve hicle to a second and relatively higher speed limit.

A correlative object of the invention centers about the provision of a train control system of this character in which the manual control is so designed as not to interfere with the automatic control of the vehicle from the roadside, the manual modification of the automatically imposed restriction being such as to permit automatic control fromthe roadside when the neXt roadside control station is reached. y

In the train control system of my invenvehicle there is provided a vehicle carried device which is operated to PIOClUCG'VGhlClG proceed and stop operations by means of cooperating vehicle carried and roadside tion, for controlling the movement of the hicle carried mechanism moves over the controlling roadside mechanism." When the system is of the ramp or contact type, this period of cooperation may be substantial and may extend over a running distance of one hundred feet. It is undesirable, however, to producea complete stop of the vehicle when the shoe is in engagement with the ramp and to obviate this objection, it is a' further object of my invention to provide means for modifying an automatic stop operation so as to permit the vehicle to proceed during the period of engagement between ashoe and a ramp, and in the preferred embodiment of the invention to permit such proceed movement under a speed limitation. v

To the accomplishment of the'fore'going and such other objects asmay hereinafter appear, my invention consists in theelements and their relation one to the other, ashereinafter particularly described and sought to be defined in the claims; reference being had to the accompanying drawing which; show a preferred embodiment of my invention, and inwhich:"' v

The figure is a wiring diagrammatic view showing the vehicle carried apparatus and circuits and part of the roadside apparatus cooperating therewith; U v F Referring now more in detail to the drawing, for directly controlling the movement of the vehicle there is provided an electrically operated device for controlling the operation of the air brake system, the said device being under the control of cooperating vehicle and roadside mechanism and being operated thereby in accordance with roadside conditions. The electrically operated device comprises in the preferred embodiment of the invention an electromagnet 10 which controls the operation of a combined reservoir and brake valve ll preferably of the type describedand claimed in thepatent to A. 13. Kendall No. 1,474,836 of Nov. 20, 1923. the saidreservo r and brake valve functioning upon the deenergization of the electrom et 10 for cutting ofi the supply of air from t e main reservoir of the air brake system to the enginemans brake valve and for o ening the train pipe to exhaust, the said e ectromagnet 10 being normally energized to hold open the communication between the main reservoir and the en 'nemans brake valve and to close the train pipe to exhaust.

For controlling the operation of the electrom device 10 there are provided train carrie oioe'uits wlfic h are selectively operated in response to changing roadside conditions, d ilithe exempli ed s stem shown in the ',;the traifn qar ea circuits are cona i *and'aii'ftiigedto be operated in re sponse to clear, caution and danger roadside conditions for producing corre sponding proceed, ceed at restrictive speed and stop operations of the electro- ,orwpemtingthe eleetromagnet 10 inreto clean roadside conditions, the same is energizedby the circuit comprising the vehicle carriedrbattery 12, resistance 13, conductor 14, we: 10, conductor 15,1! make and break ieating means 16 which normally ecmpies the f line positiionoffiahown 1n the drawing and which is movable in response" to" caution roadside conditions for g the inclined dottedlinopositien b, and in response to danger conditions for assuming the vertical dottedlindpesition a, conductor 17 running to a contact H closed by a speed controller 18 when the vehicleia traveling at or below a-high speed limit, common contact C,i conductor 19, and conductor 20 back to the r Of this Cl!- cm't, it will be manifestathat with the indieating means IG in'thc positiona the train will be permitted to provided a predetermined high spoed lir'nib ianot exceeded, and .thdtif such speed limit is exceeded, the

air brake mechanism will be operated to re-- date the speed of movement of the" vehicle to or belowthe said predetermined high W: =While'in the embodiment shown I prefer to include a highspeed control of a vehicle, it will understood that the 6160- t 10 may, be lfirectl'y controlled by blw 'desdribed'cir'cuit'exclnaive of the speed "Fbr'ropet ating the ebeetromagnet 10 in reoptima to caution?" roadside conditions, the W controllod -by it-caution circuit the battery 12, resistance 13, conmanor-7 14, electronic. f 10, conductor 15, inditafing'make and k means 16 in post tion; bgconductor 21, conductor 22, medium d 'controller I8 i by the spcd'cmttro her when the train zeaehes ajmedimnispeem-common contact 0, 19 and 20,426 12. Thus ma 'tlle'lndicati'on make and break means 16 is operated under caution conditions to the positon b, the electromagnet 10 will be laced under the control of said make and reak means and a medium speed limit of the vehicle.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that when the indication means 16 is moved to the neutral or dotted line position 0, both the clear and caution circuits controlling the electromagnet 10 will be open and the said electromagnet will be deenergized to bring the vehicle to a stop.

For operating the make and break indicating means 16, I provide cooperative vehicle carried and roadside mechanism which in the exemplified embodiment shown in the drawings comprises a vehicle carried shoe mechanism generally designated as S, ar-

ranged to en age and ride over a plurality of ramps B %one of which is shown in the drawing), the said ramps being located at spaced controlling stations along the roadside adjacent to the road'bed and rails 23, the movement of the shoe over a ramp being effective for operating an indication selector generally designated as I selectively in accordance with roadside conditions.

For producing the desired operations of the indication means I, the roadside ramps R are controlled by roadside circuit mechanism of the type disclosed inthe patent of A. G. Shaver, 1,505,062of Aug. 12, 1924, the control being such that under clear roadside conditions the ramp R is energized with a current of a. given polarity and un- 3r der caution roadside conditions said ramp is energized with current of a reverse or opposite polarity, and under danger roadside conditions the ramp is deenergized.

The indication means I may be of the type disclosed in the Letters Patent of Theodore Bodde, Patent No. 1,527,465 of Feb. 24, 1925, and may be diagrammatically described as comprising a field magnet 24, an armature rotor movable into the positions a, b, and

0 when the field coil 24 is energized respec tively with current of a given polarity, of a polarity opposite to said. given polarity, and is deenergized, the said indication selector further including a clutch or holding device consisting of a holding magnet 26 provided with the oppositely arranged poles 27, 28 arranged for cooperation with an armature 29 fixed to and movable with the rotor 25. When the vehicle is moving between control stations or ramps R under clear roadside conditions,'the parts of the indication selector occupy the position as shown in full lines in the drawing, the holding magnet 26 being energized to hold the armature 29 and rotor 25 in the position indicated, by means of the circuit comprising the battery 12, resistancc 13, conductor 30, contacts 31 and 32 bridged by the conducting piece 34 fixed to for movement with the shoe S, conductor 35, coil of holding magnet 26, conductor 36, a make and break means 16 and 16 tothe respective posi-' tions cfand 0 The further op'erationof the indication means I is determined by the energization of the ramp R'vvhich energizes the vehicle carried partial circuit controlling the field coil 24, the said partial circuit comprisingthe shoe S, conductor 37, coil 24, conductor 38 connected to ground at the framework of the vehicle 39. e

It will be apparent from the foregoing that under clear roadside conditions the partial circuit which controls the field core 24 is energizedso as to move the operated partsof the indication means I and the make andbreak means 16 and 16' to the clear indicating position shown in full lines in the drawings, and that under caution roadside conditions the said partial circuit is energized to move the operated parts of the indication means to the caution indicating position, and that further under danger roadside conditions the said partial circuit is deenergized' to permit the movement of the operated parts of the indication means Ito theneutral and vehicle stop producing positions.

' As heretofore mentioned, a prime desideratum of my present inventioncomprehends the provision of a train control system in which an automatically imposed restriction such as an automatic stop operation may be modilied by the engineman if he is alert to permit the vehicle to proceed provided the speed of' the vehicle has first been reduced to a predetermined low limit, after which the speed of the vehicle may then be increased to a prede- ,termined higher limit such as a medium speed. To. accomplish this object of the invention,

I provide manually controllable mechanism for operating the indication means I after the operated parts thereof have beenmoved to the neutral or stop produclng position,

for placing the same under the control of a medium speed restriction, said mechanism being 'operably effective, however, only after the vehicle has been reduced to the desired low speed limit. Inmanually operating the indication means I, it is desirable to prevent any interference of the automatic control of the said indication means by the cooperative vehicle carried and roadside mechanism, and to accomplish this, it is a further object of the invention to manually control the operation ofthe indicating means whilepermittingthe automatic operation of thesame by the road side mechanism when the next control station is reached.

To modify the stop operation and permit the acceleration after the reduction of speed, I provide circuit mechanism for operating the field coil 24 of the indication means I, the said circuit mechanism comprising the battery 12, resistance 13, conductor 14, conductor 40, normally open contact 41, conductor 42, field coil 24, conductor 37, conductor 43, normally open contact 44, a conductor 45, a low speed contact L normally open and closed by the speed controller 18-vvhen the speed of the vehicle has been reduced toa low limit, common contact C and conductors 19 and 20. The contacts 41 and 44 which are normally openare adapted to be closed manually by the engineman by operating a circuit controlling mechanism generally designated as 46 of the type disclosed in the application of A. G. Shaver, Ser. No. 634,053 of April 23, 1923, the circuit controlling mechanism comprising generally a receptacle push button device 47 holding a fluid in Which is seated apiston stem 48 which may be connected to the contacts 41 and 44, the construction being such that upon operation of the push button receptacle 47 the fluid therein transmits theoperating impulse to the stem 48 to close the contacts 41 and 44 and to permit the stem andcontacts to move to the descended position shown in the drawing regardless of'the further operation of the push button receptacle 47. This mechanism is provided so that the circuit con.

trolled thereby can be closed only momentation means I is energized by currenthaving such a direction that the operated parts of the indication means I are moved to the cautlon 1HdICat1DQPQS1tIOHS, With the make and break means 16 and 16 moved to therpositlons Z) and 6 For a further explanation ofthe currents 'to accomplish the relative flow of desired results, I may refer to the patent of A. G. Shaver No. 1,505,062 of Aug. 12, 1924. Although the operation of the indication means I is but momentary, it Will be apparent that the movement of the make and break means 16 and 16 to the positions 5 and b closes acircuit to the holding magnet'26 for maintaining the rotor 25 in the caution indicating position, the said circuit compris. ing battery 12, resistance 13, conductor 30, the contacts of shoe mechanism S, conductor 35, holding magnet 26, conductor 36, make and break means 16 in position 6 conductor 49, conductor 22, medium speed contact M, speed controller 18, common contact C, and conductors 19and 20. x I

It will be seen that with the provision of the circuit mechanism described, the indication means I is operated only when the vehiclnhas heenrednced to. the low speed limit, and that such operation places the indication means I under the control of the medium speed contact of: the speed controller so that to speed of the vehicle may be accelerated from: the low speed to a medium running speed; and it will'be further seen that the indicati'on means is so operated that the holding magnet 26 thereof is placed under the control of the s eed controller 18 and the shoe meclmnism the .next control ramp the elevation of said shoewill break the holding circuit to again automatically operate the indication means I in accordance with roadside conditions.

a has heretofore been stated, to prevent the stopping of the. vehicle with the shoe in cent with the ramp, another object of flieinvention centers about the provision of means .for modifying'the stop and permitting the vehicle to proceed during the period oficngagement between a shoe and a ramp. To ac'complislrthis object of the invention, I provide means for automatically operating the-electromagnet 10 to maintain the same during the time that a shoe engages a ramp, and indie preferred embodiment of'themventionthe said electromagnet 10 is during this time placed under the control of a low speed restriction so that the vehicle oan'onlyiproceed at or below a low spcedlimit if a deenergized ramp is being engaged. The said means for operating the electromagnet Ill-comprises battery 12, resistance 13, condoctor 14:, electromagnet l0, conductor 15, conductor 50 connected to a contact 51 normally open whenitheshoe is in descended position to be bridged by a conducting piece 52when the shoe elevated by engagement with...the: ramp, the circuit being then closed by the contact 53, conductor 54, conductor 45, low'speed contactiL, speed controller 18, common contact G, and conductors 19 and 20. When'this circuit closed by the elevation otithe shoe, the magnet 10 is energized to permit the vehicle to proceedat or below the owiepeed limit determined by the low speed contact L, and this circuit is'again opened whenthe shoe leaves the ram On leaving the ramp the release means 4% may be operatndFas beforedescribedtopermit the acceleration of the train to the medium speed.

a While I have shown my invention in the preferred form, it will be obvious that many changes and modifications may be made in the structure disclosed without de arting from the spirit ofthe invention, de ned in theiollowing claims.

1. In a speed control system for vehicles, vehicle carried. mechanism comprising a valve magnet for controlling the movement (lithe vehicle, circuit'means operable in responsefto a non-clear roadside condition for operating the: said magnet to impose a sothat when the shoe reaches stop condition on the movement of the vehicle, and manually controllable circuit mechanism operably effective only when the vehicle is moving at or below a relatively low speed limit for operating the said magnet to impose a second, relatively higher and fixed speed limit on the vehicle.

2. In a speed control system for vehicles, vehicle carried mechanism comprising a device for controlling the movement of the vehicle, an indication means for controlling the operation of said device, vehicle carried and roadside instrumentalities operated in response to roadside conditions for operating the said indication means to produce in the said device either a vehicle proceed or a vehicle restrictive operation, a speed controller, and manually controllable mechanism operable after a given restrictive operation is produced in said device in response to a non-clear roadside condition and operable only when the vehicle is moving at or below a relatively low speed limitwhich is less restrictive than the said given restriction for operating the indication means and for placing the same under the control of the speed controller and the said instrumentalities to impose a fixed speed limit on the vehicle higher than said relatively low speed limit and to permit the said indication means to be operated by the said instrumentalities in response to further roadside conditions.

3. In a speed control system for vehicles, vehicle carried mechanism comprising a device for controlling the movement of the vehicle, a three-position indication means for controlling the operation of said device, instrumentalities adapted to be operated by roadside mechanism in response to roadside conditions for operating the said indication means in any of three ways to produce in the said device either a vehicle proceed, proceed at a fixed medium speed or a stop operation, a speed controller, and manually controllable mechanism connected to said speed controller and operable after a stop operation is produced in said device in response to a danger roadside condition and operable only when the vehicle is moving at or below a relatively low speed limit for operating the indication means and for placing the same under the control of the speed controller and the said instrumentalities to impose the fixed medium speed limit on the vehicle and to permit the said indication means to be operated by the said instrumentalities in response to further roadside conditions. I

4. In a speed control system for vehicles, vehicle carried mechanism comprising a device for controlling the movement of the vehicle, vehicle carried and roadside means operable in'rcsponse to clear, caution and danger roadside conditions for operating the said device to produce respectively .pro-

position indication means for operatingthe' said device in response to clear, caution and danger roadside conditions for producing corresponding proceed, proceed at restricted speed and retardefiects on the vehicle, and manually controllable mechanism operableafter a retard effect is produced and only when the vehicle is moving at orbelow a relatively low speed limit for operating the said indication means to impose a second and fixed speed limit on the vehicle higher than said relatively lowspeed limit..

6. In a'speed control system for vehicles, vehiclecarried mechanism comprising a device for controlling the movement of the vehicle, a'speed' controller, mechanism includingan indication means operable 1n response to clear roadside conditions for producing a proceed operatlon'ofsald device and operable in response tocaut1on roadside conditions for placing the said device under the control ofsaid speed controller to impose a medium speed'limit on'the vehicle and operable further in response to danger roadside conditions forproducing a stop operation of said .device and manually controllable mechanism operable after a stop operation of said device is produced and only when the vehicle is moving at or below a relatively low speed for. operating the said indication means to again place the same under the control of the. said speed'controller to impose the medium speed limit on the vehicle.

7. In a vehicle control system, a vehicle carried device operable for. controlling the movement of the vehicle, roadside mechanism located at a control station on the roadside, vehicle carried mechanism cooperating with the roadside mechanism for automatically operating the said device, and speed-controlled means automatically conditioned for operation by the coaction of said roadside and vehicle carried mechanism for operating the device only during the period of coaction between the roadside and vehicle carried mechanism to permit the vehicle to move beyond.

the control station under a restricted speed.

8. In a vehicle control system, a vehicle carried device operable for producing a vehicle proceed and avehicle speed restrictive efi?ect, roadside mechanism located at'a control station on the roadside, vehicle carried mechanism cooperating with the 'roadside mechanism for automatically operating the said device, and speed controlled means automatically conditioned for operation by the coaction of said roadside andvehicle carriedmechanism for operating the device only during the period of cooperation between the roadside and vehicle carried mechanism to permit the vehicleto move under a speed limit beyond the control station when a restrictive operation of said device is produced.

9. Inla vehicle control system, a vehicle carried device operable for controlling the movement of thevehicle, roadside ramps located at spaced controlling stations along the roadside, vehicle carried mechanism including a shoe movable over and in engagement with the rampsfor operating the said device, the said device being operated by movement of the shoe under'a non-clear 3 roadside condition'to produce a speedrestrictive effect on the vehicle, and speed controlled means for automatically operating the device by and only during the engagement between the shoe and the ramp to permit the vehicle to move sufliciently to disen gage the shoe from the ramp.

10. In a vehicle control system, a vehicle carried device operable for producing vehicle proceed and stop effects, roadside mechanism located at a control station on the roadside, vehicle carried mechanism coopermatically operating the said device, and speed controlled means for operatingithe device when the same is operated to produce a stop efl'ect to permit the vehicle to move beyond the control station at or belowalow speed limit, and means for automatically controlling the co-operation between said speed controlled means and said device during the period of cooperation between the roadside and vehicle carried mechanism" 11. In a vehicle control system, a vehicle carried device and circuit means operable for producing vehicle proceed and stop effects, roadside ramps located at spaced controlling stations along the roadside, vehicle carried mechanism including ashoe movable over the ramps for operating the said device,

movement of the shoe over a ramp being effective for opening circuit connections to said device irrespective of the speed of the vehicle,and means operable by movement of the shoe on a ramp for closing circuit connections to said device and for placing the said device under the control of the speed of the vehicle to permit the vehicle to move beyond the control station at a restricted speed. e r

12. In ah-vehicle controlsystem, a vehicle carried device operable for controlling the movement of thevehicle, roadside mechanism located .at acontrol station on the roadside, an indication means for controlling the 3 f lo the vehicle tomove beyond the control edition at a resta'ioteil speed. cs M18; In a vehiclo control system, a vehicle devim opmble ior controlling the movement of the vehicle, roadside ramps l'o- Wat spaced controlling. stations along the wiadsiade, a speed controller, an indication tg lneahsropemb e'fo'r producing a proceed operation in .isaiddevice, for placing and -hnic'e under the'c'ontrol of said speed con- :tnoller and hornproducingl a stop efiect in suid devioe, vehiclecartied shoe cooperatwith sai and connected to prothe opemtions of the indication means;

and means operable byjhe engagement of shidshoe with a ramp when said step effect fiymdm fled 16o:-

the said device under no lthnieontrol of said speed controller. at a low limit. 7 a a with 'In, a. vehicle control system, a vehicle device for coaitrolling the movement loci-the vehicle, rbndside mechanism located lat alcontrol station on the roadside, vehicle carried mechanism cooperating with the h'oadside mechanism tor automatically 0 erlnting said'device'to produce a stop 'e eet therein, manually controllable mechanism for F modifying the stop oiperat-ion of said device aflective only duringthe period of non-'coac- -tlion between said mechanisms and means'for outomaticall modirfying the said stop operation 0 saidldevice during the period 445 'M coaction of said mechanisms.

115.3111 a vehicle control system, a vehicle carried device for controlling the movement oiithe vehicle, roadside mechanism located at a control station on the roadside, vehicle car- :5 cried mechanism cooperating with the roadjmde mechanism for automatically operating :said device to produce a speed restrictive eflect therein, manually controllable mechanimnqtor modifying the speed restrictive ation ofsaid device efiective only during 1 period of'noncoaction between said mechnnismsand means for automatically modifying :the said speed restrictive operation of und device during the period of coaction of "We said mechanisms.

'2 -16. In a'vehicleoontrol system, avehicle cargnled device :Eorcontmllingthe movementof the vehicle, roadside mechanism located at a contml station on the roadside, vehicle carried on imachmm'smcooperating with the roadside roadside mechanism for automatically ating saiddevice to produce a stop eflect mechanism for automatically operating said device to produce a sto effect therein, manually controllable mec anism for modifying the stop operation of said device during the nod of non-coaction between said mechanisms, means for preventing said manually controllable mechanism from becomin effective during the period of coaction 0 said mechanisms, and means for automatically modifying the said stop operation of said devlce during the period of coaction of said mechanisms.

17. In a vehicle control system, a vehicle carried device for controlling the movement of the vehicle, roadside mechanism located at acontrol station on the roadside, vehicle carried mechanism cooperating with the roadside mechanism for automatically operating said device to produce a speed restrictive efi'ect therein, manually controllable mechanism operably effective only when the vehicle is moving at or below a relatively low speed limit which is less restrictive than the said given restriction for operating the said device to impose a second relatively higher and fixed speed limit on the vehicle, said manually controllable mechanism being operably efiectiveduring the period of noncoaction between said vehicle carried and roadside mechanismsyand means for automatically modifying the said restrictive op eration of said devicewduring theperiod of toaction of said mechanisms.

18. In a vehicle control system, a vehicle carried device for controlling the movement of the vehicle, roadside mechanism located at a control station on-the roadside, vehicle carried mechanism cooperating with the operating said device to produce a stop eifect therein, manually controllable mechanism operably efiective only when the vehicle is mov-m at or below a relatively low speed limit 'oroperating the said device to impose ing the period of coaction of said mechamsms.

19. In a vehicle control system, a vehicle carried device for controlling the movement of the vehicle, roadside mechanism located at a control station on the roadside, vehicle carried mechanism cooperating with the roadside mechanism for automatically oper- '12! therein, manually controllable mechanism cperably effective only when the vehicle is movin at or below a relatively low speed limit for-operatingthe said device to impose a second relatively higher and fixed speed "the limit on the vehicle, said manually controllable mechanism being so operably efiective during the period of non-coaction between said vehicle carried and roadside mechanisms, and means for automatically modifying the stop operation of said device only, 

